Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new net metering, renewable energy, and interconnection rules for energy suppliers.

Highlights:

-Requires the Utility Regulatory Commission's annual report to the Regulatory Flexibility Committee to include the following information relating to net metering (Sec. 1):

-For each electric utility, the number of net metering customers by customer class and nameplate capacity; -A description of each safety incident that occurred during the year covered by the report, including the outcome of the incident and any remedial measures taken in response to the incident; -A description of each grid reliability incident that occurred during the year covered by the report, including the outcome of the incident and any remedial measures taken in response to the incident; and -An estimate of the cross subsidy impact of net metering to other ratepayers of each electric utility.

-Requires each electricity supplier to supply electricity generated by renewable energy resources as a percentage of the total electricity supplied in the following amounts (Sec. 2):

-By December 31, 2012, at least 2 percent; -By December 31, 2013, at least 3 percent; and -By December 31, 2014, at least 4 percent.

-Authorizes an electricity supplier to own, generate, purchase, or trade renewable energy certificates (RECs) to comply with the above requirements (Sec. 2). -Establishes the Renewable Energy Resources Fund to provide funding for the following (Sec. 2):

-Renewable energy technology research at state supported colleges and universities; and -Grants or other financial incentives for renewable energy manufacturing projects.

-Requires an electricity supplier who fails to meet the above requirements to deposit in the Renewable Energy Resources Fund an amount equal to the number of megawatt hours of electricity generated by renewable energy resources that the electricity supplier was required to supply multiplied by $50 (Sec. 2). -Requires the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, by July 1, 2010, to adopt rules to amend the previously established net metering and interconnection rules, to do the following (Sec. 3):

-Require an electric utility to offer net metering to all customer classes; -Allow a net metering customer to interconnect to an electric utility's distribution facility a generating system that is sized to meet all or part of a customer's electric load; -Allow a net metering customer to interconnect a facility that generates electricity through any of the following technologies:
-Solar; -Wind; -Microhydroelectric facilities; -Hydroelectric facilities at dams existing before January 1, 2010; -Combustion technology using renewable fuels or natural gas; -Fuel cells using renewable fuels; -Biogas, including anaerobic digestion and algae production systems; -Methane from landfills or other waste products; or -Combined heat and power systems that achieve at least 70 percent overall efficiency; and
-Allow for customer meter aggregation.

-Prohibits net metering and interconnection rules adopted by the commission from applying to cooperatively owned power suppliers or municipally owned utilities (Sec. 3). -Requires the commission to void any previous net metering and interconnection rules that don't meet the new requirements by June 1, 2010 (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text